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Pendulum

Definition

A pendulum refers to an object suspended from a fixed point that swings freely back and forth under gravity's influence, following an arc-shaped path.

Analogy

Picture yourself on a swing again. When you move your body forward and backward while sitting on the swing, your body follows an arc-shaped path, just like a pendulum swinging back and forth.

Related terms

Periodic Motion: Any motion that repeats itself in equal intervals of time. Pendulum motion is an example of periodic motion.

Length: The distance between the pivot point and the center of mass of a pendulum. It affects the period of the pendulum's oscillation.

Damping: The process by which energy is gradually lost from a system, causing the amplitude of oscillations to decrease over time.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.